Game apparatus



Aug. 30, 1960 G. A. LYON 2,950,918

GAME APPARATUS Filed April 15. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 A5. /4 EVE-Z7 [UP 6200a: flLsERr Lyou Aug. 30, 1960 G. A. LYON 2,950,918 I GAME APPARATUS I Filed April 15. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent GAME APPARATUS George Albert Lyon, 13881 W. Chicago Blvd., Detroit 28, Mich.

Filed Apr. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 652,776

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-99) The present invention relates to improvements in game apparatus and more particularly concerns a game device requiring a fair amount of skill to play.

As distinguished from games of chance, games requiring at least some skill have an appeal that is often times stronger and more enduring and more challenging for the player as his skill develops and competition with other skilled players becomes keen. This is especially true of games demanding manual dexterity and which will afford all players of about the same skill anequal chance to make a winning score.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel game apparatus involving the exercise of manual dexterity in play. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus including a pendulous free swinging manually directable member arranged for directive registration in scoring relation with another member of predetermined location on the apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus in which a pendulous ring-like manipulable member is constructed and arranged to be directionally swung toward and into engagement with a hook memberfor scoring purposes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved portable swinging ring and hook game apparatus.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide improved stand structure for a swinging ring game apparatus.

Other objects, features and advantages will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of game apparatus embodying features of the invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational detail view taken substantially on the line IIIIII of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevational detail view taken substantially on the line IVIV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the apparatus showing various positions of the pendulous playing ring member relative to a scoring hook member with respect to which the ring is adapted to be registered in play;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevational detail view taken substantially on the line VI-VI of Figure 2; and a Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view showing a modification of a stand arrangement for the apparatus. 1

As principal components of game apparatus according to the present invention, a ring member 10 isprovided which in play must be engaged upon a scoring hook 11 by swinging of the ring more or less pendulum fashion apparatus of 2 by a manipulative effort toward the hook. To this end, both the ring 10 and the hook 11 are supported in predetermined playing relation by supporting means preferably comprising a stand structure including a preferably hollow tubular upright standard 12 carrying on the upper portion thereof a generally cantilever supporting or suspension arm 13.

Stabilizing support for the standard 12 may be provided by a base member 14 of any preferred construction but herein provided with a three leg arrangement including a rearwardly extending relatively short leg 15 and a pair of diverging, forked substantially longer generally forwardly extending legs 17, with an upstanding socket 18 on the body of the stand at juncture of the legs'receptive of the lower end portion of the standard 12. Preferably the standard is supported removably in the socket 18 and is held therein detachably by means such as a set screw 19. Through this arrangement a stable support is provided for the standard 12 and the cantilever arm 13 which is arranged to project forwardly over thetspace between the divergent forward longer legs 17 of the base of the stand.

By preference the cantilever supporting arm 13 is made from suitable rod stock and projects forwardly and upwardly from a supporting connection with the upper end of the standard or post 12. For this purpose, the lower, rear end portion of the arm 13 has a depending terminal section 20 which is of a diameterto fit slidably into the tubular standard 12 (Figs. 1 and 6) and is arranged to be secured therein in selective degrees of elevation by means of preferably hand wheel type of set screw 21 threaded through a collar encircling the upper extremity portion of the standard 12 and a suitable registering screw hole through the Wall of the standard tube.

Preferably the arm-supporting portion 20 is constructed and arranged for convenient storage collapsing of the arm 13. For this purpose thesupporting portion'20 may be constructed in two parts with each part containing one half of a toothed clutch 23 arranged to be released for collapsing of the arm 13 as shown in dash outline in Figure l, and for maintaining the arm in upwardly andforwardly extended position as shown in full outline. Suitable manually releasable securing means such as a wing nut and bolt assembly 24 may be provided for this purpose. Since the arm 13 may be longer than the standard 12, suitable vertical adjustment of the depending supporting rod portion 20 may be desirable as shown in the dash and full outline positions in Figure 1 between the collapsed and the set up or playing positions of the 'arm 13. For supporting the distal end of the rod 13 in the collapsed condition, a recessed retaining shelf 25 may be provided between the adjoining portions of the forward legs 17 of the base 14 with the end of the arm 13 held against escape within the recess of the supporting shelf or socket by securing the supporting rod portion 20 against axial movement in the standard 12 by tightening the set screw 21 until it is again desired to set up the apparatus for playing.

Both the ring member 10 and the hook member 11 are preferably supported on and by the arm 13. Pendu-lous support for the ring member 10 is provided by a flexible leash or strand 27 which may comprise a cord, thin chain, wire or the like of adequate flexibility and durability to serve the purpose. At one end the flexible suspending member 27 is suitably attached to the ring member 10, maintaining the ring captive with respect to the distal end portion of the arm 13 by attachment of the opposite end of the flexible member to a suitable eye or other attachment member 28 carried by the distal extremity of the arm.

For mounting of the hook member 11, it is provided with an elongated shank or arm portion 29 having a threaded end portion 30 arranged to extend through a front to rear transverse bore 31 in the upper section of the depending arm supporting portion 20 (Fig. 6). A pair of retaining nuts 32 carried by the threaded portion 30 on each side of the rod section 20 is adapted to secure the hook shank fixedly in relatively axial positions of adjustment. The rod section 20 may be provided with respective opposite flattened areas 33 about the opposite ends of the hook shank receiving bore 31 to facilitate tightening of the nuts 32 thereagainst.

For playing the game, the length of the. suspending flexible member 27 and the forwardly projected position of the hook 11 with the open portion of the hook facing upwardly are predetermined to dispose the tip of the hook 11 inside or above the arc of swinging movement of the lowermost portion of the rim of the ring and adjacent to the innermost end of the arc of swinging movement of the ring. Through thisarrangement, manipulation of the ring 10 from a state of free suspension as shown in dash outline in Figure to a position at the outer end of an arc of swinging movement as shown in full outline in Figure 5 and then releasing the ring to swing pendulum like to an inner limit of a swinging are beyond the hook 11 as shown in dot dash outline in Figure 5 registration and hooking of the ring in scoring relation onto the hook 11 may be effected. Since the hook 11 is disposed in a position which would normally interfere with swinging of the ring in a vertical plane including the hook and the arc of movement of the ring in swinging from the outer end of the arc to the inner end of the arc, and the ring preseats a plane bounded by its perimeter normal to its axis, while the hook 11 is disposed with its axis normal to the swinging plane of the ring, a fair degree of skill must be exercised to control not only the swinging of the ring but also the plane in which it will commence its return from the inner end of its are of swing adjacent to the hook 11. The normal tendency of the ring is to strike the hook 11 and glance away, To effect a successful scoring registration and hooking of the ring 10 onto the hook 11 requires skillful directing of the ring 10 in its swinging movement past the hook 11 as Well as a turning or disposition of the ring to place its axis or eye opening in a position to receive the tip of the hook 11 within the ring as the ring begins its downward, return swinging movement. In Figures 1 and 4'is shown the relationship attained when the ring 10 is hooked onto the hook 11 either during play or during periods of nonuse.

In order to afford clearance and avoid striking of the ring against the supporting structure, the lower portion of the cantilever supporting arm 13 immediately above the hook 11 is preferably provided with an olfset or bend or loop portion 34 extending rearwardly and preferably also over toward one side as best seen in Figuresl and 2 clear of the arc of swing of the ring. Angling ofthe portion 34 toward one side, and preferably toward the left as one faces the device, is desirable since the ring must be swung to one side to by-pass the hook 11 and most people are right handed and will tend to aim the ring 10 about the right side of the hook 11.

While the ring member 10 has been shown herein as of circular form, it may possibly take various other shapes or outline providing an open eye within which the hook 11 is engageable by projection of its end through the eye.

Where it is desired to locate the. game device in a particular place in a playing area as for example in an outdoor playing court or playground, the arrangement shown in Figure 7 may be employed wherein the standard or post 12 is removably supported in a socket 35 anchored in a concrete or like retaining block 37 sunk in the ground or other playing area surface. I

It will be understood that modifications and variations i may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a game apparatus including an upright supporting standard structure extending to a substantial elevation, a cantilever arm, said standard structure having supporting means on its upper end and said arm having a proximal end portion with means thereon projecting downwardly and engaging with said supporting means in height adjustable relation of the downwardly projecting means and thereby the arm, a releasably manipulable member coacting with both of said means and operable to retain said downwardly projecting means of the arm and thereby the arm in selected height adjustment relative to the satndard structure, a scoring retainer mounted on said downwardlyprojecting proximal end portion means of the arm and adjustable as to height with said end portion means, a scoring member tethered to the distal end portion of the arm and swingable in play toward and into retained engagement with the scoring retainer in any height adjustment of the arm relative to the standard, said downwardly projecting proximal end portion means. of the arm having a hole therethrough, and said scoring retaining comprising a hook having a threaded shank extending through said hole with a pair of retaining nuts carried threadedly by the shank on respectively opposite sides of the downwardly projecting end portion means and which are adjustably manipulable to adjust the position of the hook as to distance from the end portion means and are also operable to retain the hook fixedly in the adjusted position by clamping engagement of the nuts with said end portion means.

2. In a game apparatus including an upright standard having a supporting base projecting laterally therefrom, a cantilever supporting arm having a depending terminal section on one end vertically adjustably carried by the upper end portion of the standard, means releasably securing the depending section in vertical adjustment relative to the standard, means pivotally connecting the depending portion to the cantilever arm and releasable to enable collapsing of the cantilever arm downwardly and toward the standard, the cantilever arm having suspended from its free end a playing member and the cantilever arm having adjacent to said one end a second playing member coactive with said suspended playing member, and said base having an upwardly opening socket within which the free end of the cantilever arm is engageable in the collapsed position, said means releasably securing the depending section and said releasable pivotal securing means being operable to enable vertical adjustment of the depending section relative to the standard and pivot ing of the cantilever arm into the collapsed position and then being securableto retain the depending section and the cantilever arm fixedly in the collapsed position of the cantilever arm and thereby maintaining said free end portion of the cantilever arm in said socket inv the collapsed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 117,780 Hoyt Aug. 8, 1871 848,168 Grandchamp Mar. 26, 1907 1,052,907 Fergusson Feb. 11, 1913 1,398,511 Hanrath Nov. 29, 1921 1,812,253 Bonham June 30, 1931 2,023,844 Kleinman Dec. 10, 1935 2,067,071 Browne J an. 5, 1937 2,272,765 Beeson Feb. 10, 1942 2,477,438 Brouwer July 26, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 333,591 Great Britain Aug. 18, 1930 .Great Britain on. 30, 1939 

